New Antitumoral Pharmacological Strategies Involving Ca2+/Camp Signaling Pathways

Cell signaling is a crucial event for the survival and progress of normal cellular functions. However, mutations of certain genes can lead to the emerging of cancer cells, which can use these signaling mechanisms for their survival, growth and dissemination. Among these mechanisms, we highlight the role of cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP, and Ca2+ and its Ca2+ channels, which are functionally altered, or amplified, in different types of cancer cells. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for knowledge of process of tumor progression, and for the creation of new pharmacological strategies to control the growth and spread of tumor cells. In this review, we address the relevance of cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP, and Ca2+ channels in tumor cells, emphasizing the possibility of combined pharmacological interventions which interfere with these intracellular signaling pathways.